Gender Ministry holds dialogues with stakeholders to end sexual and gender based violence
The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, with funding from the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA), is holding a series of dialogues with key stakeholders towards ending Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) in the country.
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The overall goal of the initiative is to obtain a significant and sustained reduction in the incidence of SGBV against women and children in Ghana.
It also focuses on preventing violence by raising awareness of SGBV and sensitising court personnel and the media to their respective roles in eliminating SGBV, aimed at bringing attitudinal and behavioural change at the cultural, institutional and individual levels, with particular focus on working with men and boys.
Speaking at a media dialogue aimed at ending SGBV in Tamale, two gender activists, in separate remarks, commended the state for the steps it took to go ahead with the prosecution of Mr Kwasi Kyei Darkwa , popularly known as KKD, an ace broadcaster and Showbiz icon, for the alleged rape even when the victim declined to appear before court .
The gender activists, Ms Hilary Gbedemah, a Lawyer and Ms Charity Binka, a lecturer at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), both consultants on gender issues were sharing their thoughts on the KKD rape saga at a media dialogue on ending SGBV in Ghana.
They explained that the case against the suspect was not closed, and that KKD was only discharged by the court and not acquitted of the charges levelled against him, explaining that the case could be called at any time that the victim and witnesses were ready to testify.
That, they said, was an indication of the level of importance the state attached to SGBV and called on the media to emulate the efforts by the state and intensify its public awareness and education to end SGBV in the Ghanaian society.
Initiative to end Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV)
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Thoughts on KKD rape saga
They also commended the media for the reportage on the KKD rape saga but urged media practitioners to be circumspect and sensitive to the plight of victims of SGBV and report on such cases in such a way that would not traumatise and further worsen the condition of the victims by showing them respect and being sensitive to their plight.
Mrs Binka said, "the information we gathered was that the victim in the KKD rape saga was traumatised by the media reportage that was why she declined to testify in the case, to save her from further psychological and emotional trauma".
Ms Gbedemah noted that in other jurisdictions such as the United States of America (USA), some citizens would have taken over the matter on behalf of the victim and provided her with the needed psychological and emotional support to go ahead with the prosecution to ensure that Justice was served and done.
She, therefore, called for the loopholes in the country's laws relating to SGBV against women and children to be sealed to prevent perpetrators of such crimes from exploiting them as part of measures to end such crimes.
Why initiative
A Deputy Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Mr John Alexander Ackon, in a speech, explained the purpose of the project to end SGBV in the country, stressing that the ministry realising both the immediate and long-term impact and the negative effects of SGBV on women and children, initiated the project towards ending SGBV in Ghana.
He said the project, which would be implemented within a year, was geared towards improving service delivery in the Justice sector to handle SGBV cases effectively, enhance the capacities of communities and organised men's group to prevent and report the incidence of SGBV and to sensitise religious and traditional leaders to better understand the damaging practices and consequences of SGBV.
In addition, Mr Ackon said the project was also to build strong partnership with the media through the demystification of SGBV cases to enhance media reportage.
Participants
Participants at the two-day dialogue session were taken through the various United Nations (UN) Conventions on violence against women and children and the various forms of SGBV and how the media could heighten public awareness and education to end SGBV in Ghana.
It was attended by Journalists from the three northern regions.